RFID tags are used in numerous situations. There are two basic types of RFID tags. Active RFID tags have a transmitter and their own power source, while passive tags have no battery as they draw power from the reader, which sends out electromagnetic waves that induce a current in the tag's antenna. Thus, passive tags are, due to lower cost, more popular.
One example of use of passive RFID tags are contactless payment credit/debit cards. Other examples include RFID passports.
RFID technology creates however a new category of threats. Typically, RFID readers may query ROD tags for their unique identifier or on-tag data. If certain vulnerabilities exist in an RFID system, an RFID tag can be cloned. Tag cloning may allow undesirable operations to be performed, such as unauthorized entry to a secure area, unauthorized purchases etc.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a system and method for selective access to RFID, so that RFID cloning would be impossible, for example when an RFID tag is in its owner's pocket.
Prior art comprises a “Pressure activated passive RFID tag”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,909,259 B2 that discloses an RFID tag, in which when no external pressure is applied to a packaging structure, a wire for transmitting power and data from an antenna is separated from an RFID chip by an air layer. When external pressure is applied to the packaging structure, the wire is connected to the RFID chip to transmit the power and data between the antenna and the RFID chip.
In this solution, a user has to press a specific spot on a card in order for the RFID tag to operate. An alternative solution would thus be advantageous that would not require such actions from user.
Another prior art WO2008008203 entitled “PROTECTIVE SLEEVE” discloses a device for shielding a contactless smartcard from intrusive reading and a method of manufacturing the same. The sleeve is sized and shaped to removably receive and hold the contactless smartcard The device is a sleeve formed by folding a laminated paper to form first, second and third flaps, where the first and second flaps are opposite to each other and connected to the third flap to define the sleeve. The laminated paper includes a shielding material and a paper product, and the shielding material prevents reading of the contactless smartcard when substantially surrounded by the sleeve. The device can include a fourth flap for sealing a contactless smartcard within the sleeve. The laminated paper can also include a first polyethylene layer and a second polyethylene layer, wherein the shielding material is positioned between the first and second polyethylene layers.
A drawback of this solution is that a sleeve requires a further action from a user and that a sleeve comprising a card cannot be used in a cash machine.
A publication of US2005236489 (A1) entitled “Portable information carrier with transponders” discloses a portable information carrier equipped with a transponder capable of being activated and deactivated during the use of said information carrier without having recourse to a specific device for actuation. This aim is reached by a portable information carrier comprising at least two substantially planar parts articulated to each other forming an assembly in which one part can be superimposed on the other, the first part includes a transponder arranged on the plane of said part, the second part includes a shielding element that extends over all or part of said part, said transponder intended to be read by means of a suitable reader that transmits an electromagnetic signal activating the transmission of a response from said transponder; wherein said transponder of the first part is positioned facing the shielding element of the second part when both parts are superimposed preventing the activation of the transponder by absorption of the signal transmitted by the reader, said activation being carried out when said parts are moved aside from each other, letting appear the transponder distant from the shielding element.
A drawback of this solution is that it includes folding sheets thus is requires a further action from a user and that such an arrangement, when used with a payments card, cannot be used in a cash machine.
Thus, there exists an unaddressed need for an improved method for selective access to RFID functionality that would be easy to use by humans and designed such that a payment card applying the invention may be used in a typical cash machine.
The aim of the development of the present invention is an improved method of selective access to RFID functionality.